"Ugh…"
Despairing, agonized screams echoed through a dark, eerie basement.
The ceiling was low, and stepping inside, one would immediately feel a sense of oppression and confinement.
Only one lamp flickered dimly, casting its light barely five meters beyond, swallowed by the surrounding darkness.
The floor, like the air filled with the smell of moss and decay, was cold and damp.
Those ghostly wails, as if coming from the depths of hell, came from a worn-out, filthy iron-framed bed.
Beside the bed stood several women, naked and disheveled. They were unresponsive to what was happening on the bed, staring blankly ahead—some crying, some laughing hysterically.
On the bed lay a woman with a beautiful face and a curvaceous figure. Her torn clothes hung loosely as she was pinned down by a man, who was violating her.
Her once flawless makeup was now smeared by endless streams of tears, and her face was twisted in anguish, her eyes slowly turning crazed.
The man, delicate and handsome in appearance, was excited, his face glowing with twisted satisfaction as he assaulted the woman beneath him.
Beside the bed stood a special figure—a young woman, fully dressed, staring intensely at the man with deep, burning hatred and overwhelming guilt.
As time passed, the woman's screams grew quieter, until they stopped altogether.
Clearly, the woman couldn't withstand the torment any longer and had passed out.
The man continued for a while longer before stopping.
Without any response, he seemed to lose interest. With a look of disdain, he stood up and kicked the ravaged woman off the bed like he was discarding trash.
Then, he turned to the young woman standing nearby, flashing a disgusting, fake smile.
"Jessica, do you want a turn?"
Jessica's face was filled with undisguised hatred and disgust. She coldly replied, "Do I want to? Yes, I want to kill you!"
The man's face darkened at her words, and he sneered, "Go ahead, keep trying."
Jessica didn't argue back, glaring at him with a hatred so deep she wished she could tear him apart.
She had tried—about a week ago, right after she'd fallen under his control. But it didn't work.
This man, Zebediah Killgrave, could control people with a single word. Even someone as strong and able to fly as Jessica wasn't immune.
When she was first forced into this basement and saw the broken bodies and minds of the women here, she was horrified by the monster she had fallen prey to.
She had tried to strike when Killgrave spoke to her, thinking she could take him out with her strength. But despite her power, she was too slow. With just one word, Killgrave had taken control of her body.
Fortunately, Killgrave didn't seem to want to violate her. Unfortunately, what she had to endure was far worse.
Killgrave forced her to help him capture women and bring them to his hellish lair. Even while he abused them, he made Jessica watch.
Today marked the second woman Jessica had brought to this place. Watching the woman fall apart under Killgrave's torment, Jessica felt her own mind beginning to break.
The guilt of knowing she had led these women to their doom gnawed at her soul. She couldn't forgive herself.
Killgrave had once told her that if she willingly gave herself to him, he would release everyone and stop his sick games.
At first, Jessica had scoffed at the idea, refusing to even consider it. But now…
Staring at the broken women around her, like beasts, she felt her resolve crumbling under the weight of her guilt.
You're a superhero, Jessica! she screamed silently at herself. You should be saving them, not helping this monster torment the innocent!
Be brave! You can do it!
No, I can't…
Think of why you became a superhero in the first place!
Think of Superboy!
If it were him, he would sacrifice himself to save these people, wouldn't he?
…
These thoughts warred in Jessica's mind constantly, torn between sacrificing herself and continuing to resist.
Back when she first decided to become a superhero, it was because of Superboy—a young hero who had taken New York by storm—and her best friend's encouragement.
Before that, she had always seen her powers as a curse. The day she gained her powers, she lost everything that mattered to her.
But Superboy changed her perspective.
When she saw him on the news, defeating a gray-green monster and saving people, she realized what she should be doing.
Like Superboy, she was young, incredibly strong, and could fly.
Later, Jessica secretly collected all the information she could find about Superboy.
In her eyes, Superboy's image became more and more heroic.
Superboy's first appearance could probably be traced back to before the gray-green monster incident. Some soldiers had claimed that Superboy was the product of an experiment by General Ross's team—the same group responsible for creating the monster.
Jessica believed this theory. Unlike Iron Man, Superboy worked alone and kept to himself, which suggested a mysterious and tragic backstory, just like her own.
An unexpected disaster had taken everything from him but given him extraordinary powers.
But unlike Jessica, Superboy had done more. He had defeated the gray-green monster, taken on the Iron Legion, and even fought a terrifying mech in Mexico, saving countless lives.
And what had she done?
The more Jessica learned about Superboy, the more ashamed she felt.
She had always hidden her powers, ashamed of them, scared of the stares and judgment from others. She never thought about using her abilities to help anyone.
But Superboy? He was just as young as she was, yet he had saved so many lives.
She had to be like him!
Inspired by Superboy, and with the encouragement of her adopted sister, Trish, Jessica finally decided to put on a costume and start her hero career.
At first, it was fun. With her strength, dealing with petty criminals in Hell's Kitchen was easy. She began to feel the joy and accomplishment of being a hero.
But she never expected to run into a monster like Killgrave so soon.
One word from him, and she had become his puppet.
Killgrave, twisted and insane, cared nothing for the law or morality. He thrived on the feeling of controlling others.
When he met Jessica, a superpowered being, his desire for control only intensified.
He didn't want to just dominate her physically—he wanted to break her mentally. He wanted Jessica to accept his twisted love and willingly submit to him, seeking emotional refuge in her.
So he brought Jessica along to capture women, making her watch as he abused them.
He knew that Jessica, with her kind and innocent heart, would eventually be overwhelmed by guilt and self-blame, and that one day she would break down and submit to him willingly.
Killgrave waited patiently, like a seasoned hunter waiting for his prey to walk into the trap.
And now, he knew it was time to strike.
He masked his irritation, put on a fake smile, and walked over to Jessica, caressing her soft skin as he whispered in her ear:
"Can you really bear to see them suffer because of you?"
His voice was seductive, like a devil tempting someone to sell their soul.
Jessica endured the revulsion she felt from his touch, glaring at him with hatred.
"This is all your doing, you sick monster!"
"Oh?"
Killgrave's smile was full of hidden meaning as he grabbed her face, forcing her to look into his eyes. He said slowly, "Are you sure it has nothing to do with you?"
Jessica fell silent.
Seeing her hesitation, Killgrave's heart leaped with joy. He knew he was getting to her.
"You can save them. You should save them."
He brought his lips close to her ear and continued to poison her mind.
"Aren't you a hero?"
He pointed to the broken women around them.
"Look at them. How pitiful."
Jessica's gaze unwillingly fell on the women. She had been avoiding looking at them.
Because, deep down, she knew she could save them.
But the price would be her soul.
For anyone, this would be an impossible choice.
Killgrave had told her that some of these women had been here for nearly a month, and the ones who had been here longer were already dead.
His abuse had shattered their minds, driving them to madness.
Now, they were little more than animals, barely surviving on scraps of food scattered on the floor.
Maybe they were beyond saving.
Sometimes, Jessica told herself that to ease her guilt.
But Killgrave would continue to destroy others, turning normal people into these broken shells.
How much longer could she hold out?
Was her resistance even worth it?
Maybe…
If she surrendered now, she could stop more people from falling into this monster's hands.
"What do you think?"
Killgrave's voice echoed again, and Jessica felt her resolve crumbling.
"Are you going to help me find the next one? Superhero?"
"No!"
Tears streamed down Jessica's face. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Let them go!"
"Oh?"
Killgrave's eyes lit up.
"You've finally come around?"
He caressed Jessica's face, filled with a sick sense of triumph.
Jessica didn't resist. She just cried, helpless and broken.
Just as Killgrave was about to pull her onto the bed, a loud ringing suddenly echoed through the room.
Killgrave froze.
It was the buzzer from the basement's entrance. Someone was at the door.
"Who?"
He answered the call.
"Killgrave? Your time's up."